Is This Michigan State Senator The Most Liberal Republican Running For Congress In America?

State Senator Tom Casperson announced his campaign to run for the Congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Benishek.

Benishek, a Doctor from Northern Michigan, announced he’s retiring from his seat in Michigan’s First Congressional District when his term ends in January of 2017.

Casperson’s voting record is immensely controversial, voting for multiple pieces of legislation that Michigan conservatives despise.

From voting for a gas tax increase, Michigan’s version of “Obamacare,” as well as the largest tax increase in the Great Lakes State in over 50 years-among other things- Casperson’s conservative credentials are sure to be front and center throughout the campaign.

According to an analysis from Inside Michigan Politics, Casperson is the 2nd most liberal Republican State Senator in Michigan.

“Only one Republican state senator has a more liberal voting record than Senator Tom Casperson of Escanaba.”

“Casperson kicked off his campaign Monday in his hometown and drew immediate political fire from a newly formed political action committee targeting Republicans who have voted to raise taxes.

Conservative political activist Scott Hagerstrom, who previously ran the Americans for Prosperity chapter in Michigan, on Monday announced the formation of a new group called Tax-Hiking Republicans PAC.

The group’s initial target is Casperson because he voted in the state Senate to place the failed Proposal 1 sales tax increase on the May 5 ballot and voted for a proposed 15-cents-a-gallon gas tax increase that never got enacted, Hagerstrom said.

He also criticized Casperson for voting to expand the Medicaid health insurance program…

“We definitely believe that voters in the 1st District deserve to know that Tom Casperson is a tax-hiking Republican,” Hagerstrom told The News.

Casperson voted for the final $1.2 billion road funding plan the Legislature sent Gov. Rick Snyder last week. It included voting in favor of a 20 percent hike in vehicle registration fees and raising the 19-cent-per-gallon gas tax and the 15-cent-per-gallon diesel tax to 26.3 cents per gallon.”